Hyperemesis Support

[LucindaE]

I hope everyone suffering from the Horrors of Hyperemesis will find this thread useful as a source of support and information.
There's no TMI on here - can't be by definition - and nobody should feel ashamed of moaning as much as they feel the need to.
MOH's wonderful website is full of useful information on this illness:
sites.google.com/site/pregnancysicknesssos
Another invaluable website is:
www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk
If you need help in obtaining medication, phone them on:
024 7638 2020
Lastly, the NICE guidelines on treatment are useful:
cks.nice.org.uk/topics/nausea-vomiting-in-pregnancy
I would like to thank everyone who has given such invaluable support and advice on this and on previous threads.
It has been suggested that I add some practical tooth cleaning advice: a lot of sufferers find using a child's small toothbrush and strawberry toothpaste far less nauseating.
On my image of a pink castle: that is an image I use because when I was little, my family had a Snakes and Ladders board with an image on the last square of a pink castle in the clouds. As Hyperemesis is so like a grotesque version of Snakes and Ladders - eat a meal, go up a ladder, first thing in the morning bile run, down a snake - I have used the image of that pink castle on the last square of that Snakes and Ladders board as a metaphor for the happy end of Hyperemesis.
Remember when you are at your worst, 'This Too Shall Pass'. It really will.
So many women on this thread have thought they couldn't get through this, but they did.

Can anyone help me..
I’m currently on statutory sick pay, for hyperemesis, will I still be entitled to statutory maternity pay as according to the maternity pay calculator I’ll not be making enough money to get maternity pay 😭 I’m so stressed is there a way around this as I’m on the sick and usually would qualify? X

@FateHasRedesignedMost oh yes, poor you, I had sickness when breastfeeding DS1 too, it was a real downer as I though it would disappear immediately at birth (as it does for the great majority of women, and did for me too, funnily enough, after DS2). It is really bad luck to have had that, though I think I'm right in remembering that @LucindaE also experienced the same thing.

I have got through today without vomiting again but I have been very ill. I only avoided vomiting by lying completely motionless for three hours late morning/early afternoon. The weekend has been harder with the children off school and I had to get up quite a lot yesterday afternoon as my MiL had the boys but couldn't manage DS2. I'm hoping with the boys back at school tomorrow it'll be a bit easier to manage again. I'm also hoping that even if the vomiting does break through the Xonvea, that I might not lose control of it completely immediately. I'm still managing to eat small amounts every 2-3 hours -- it's a bit of a struggle but determined to keep up my strength as long as possible. Starvation was as big a problem as dehydration for me in my previous pregnancies, because the most acute phase lasted so long.

FateHasRedesignedMost and kalidasa. You were both indeeed very unlucky to have the nausea and vomiting come back after birth.Yes, I suffered from that too. Odd, as I didn't have Hyperemesis badly. Of all the sufferers on these threads from over ten years, only a handful have had that. Breast feeding does seem to set it off, the let down hormones, I'm assuming. I am always in a quandry about mentioning it, because so many sufferers on here are suffering so badly that to hint gently that for a tiny minority, the symptoms don't go away immediately after the birth seems cruel. Of course, they always go away with the end of breast feeding, and I found them manageable after the first couple of weeks.
kalidasa Cheering you on.

Secondtimemamma I hope someone can advise. I am unsure of the current rules. It seems very unfair if you lose out because of it.

@kalidasa and @FateHasRedesignedMost I was nauseous during breastfeeding. A wave of nausea during the let down.

Sorry to see new people on here suffering. I have been a bit quiet on here as I have been so tired. This fatigue is worse than even first trimester. I am assuming that I am anaemic as my booking in bloods at 8 weeks were just on the cusp of normal and there have been 11 weeks of vomiting since then (19 weeks now). Midwives won't do bloods until 28 weeks due to blood bottle shortage. I have started taking a prenatal vitamin (stopped at 6 weeks due to it worsening nausea) plus I'm taking a sachet of spatone so taking a bit extra iron & vitamin c to see if it helps.
Still vomiting most days. Just feel really depressed mainly.
Sorry for the gloomy post

@LucindaE i had the nausea come back when I was 5months pp. During every week of ovulation each month the nausea was like hg returning. I had to take metoclopromide to help as it was awful. I'm so sorry to see others suffering the same.

@Secondtimemama have you been working full time until HG? As long as you have payslips to show you can claim maternity allowance and should still get what you'd get each month for SMP. Take a look online.
I went on the sick from 5-9weeks and then had no choice but to resign as boss was so awful to me. I had worked that job for 5 months and previous job 3 1/2years so just sent in my payslips for the dates required and got full MA.
I hope you can too.

abbs1 Sorry you had the nausea return with your cycle like that. I'm glad they gave you meds for it. I remember your having to resign - outrageous - and am glad you got full maternity pay. Good advice for Firstimemumma on the pay issue.
thingymaboob Much sympathies over depression. Anameia is very unpleasant. .Are the vitamns in drop form? Sorry you suffered after birth when b'/f ing as well. Almost all those who have seem to have suffered worse than average, so where I fitted in I don't know. I was run down due to infected stitches and blood loss, and I think that was a factor.
Waves to kalidasa and FateHasRedisgnedMostand everyone.
I hope everyone is coping.

Secondtimemamma Silly me - calling you Firstimemamma !

Tough couple of days but just had an encouraging scan this morning -- I could see the heartbeat even before the sonographer zoomed in! All looks good. I'm 7 weeks today I am pretty sure but dated 7w2d from the scan.

On the Xonvea I've still managed to avoid throwing up again (it's been a week now), but only by lying completely motionless most of the time. Not a very thrilling existence and the nausea the last couple of days has been really intense and unrelenting. But I'm trying so hard to postpone vomiting as long as possible and keep myself out of hospital for as long as I can. I was in hospital before this point with both DS1 and DS2 so I am pretty pleased really.

@thingymaboob sorry you are down, it seems so endless when you are still feeling rough right in the middle. Annoying they won't give you a blood test either. Apparently here in France they do one every month throughout pregnancy! Sensible to try the Spatone stuff though. Can you increase your dietary iron as well?

@kalidasa gosh, your post reminds me of those early weeks lying motionless in bed. You're right, it's hideous. Poor you. It is awful. Any chance of ondansetron or anything else?

I have been vomiting all morning. I've now taken 8mg of ondansetron in the hope that it'll help.

@thingymaboob unfortunately I don't think I can take ondansetron: I had to be taken off it during my pregnancy with DS2. I also can't take metocloprimide as I developed neurological side-effects after being on it for a long time when pregnant with DS1. With DS2 I was on steroids for months and I suspect that may be the only other option if I end up in hospital, though I don't know if that's part of the protocol here or not (I'm in France). So I am particularly glad to be better than I expected at this point thanks to the Xonvea. I was in hospital by this stage with both DS1 and DS2. The HG with DS2 was particularly epic: I remember @LucindaE at the time saying it was the worst she'd had on this thread, though perhaps some poor women has beaten that record since, this was back in 2014! I was in hospital almost continuously for two months. Even on a huge IV steroid dose they couldn't stabilise me enough to discharge until 14 weeks. The funny thing is, he looks a bit like he was a baby reared on steroids -- he is very tall for his age and has giant bulging muscles!! Both my babies were completely healthy though despite the colossal amount of drugs and months of clinical starvation while I was pregnant. Quite amazing really.

Oh and also yes @thingymaboob nausea at let down was exactly what I experienced with DS1 too. Oddly it didn't happen with DS2, though I breastfed him as well. If this pregnancy works out, I will breastfeed to start with but I will ditch it if it makes me feel sick again. I think it's more important that I am cheerful and relaxed and can recover from the pregnancy, and in any case there is a lot less breastfeeding over here -- the midwife at my initial appointment was amazed I had breastfed for 6-9 months both times, whereas I thought that was pretty standard.

Hello! Sorry to see so many people suffering.

I’m hoping since a lot of you have ended up on ondansetron, then you’ll be familiar with the side effects? I took it from week 15-40 of my first pregnancy and started week 7 this time. I’ve tried so hard to limit it because it’s first trimester, but I’m still having horrendous constipation. Worse than last time. After a truly hellish weekend in the bathroom, I’ve managed to just about face the vomiting for two day and not take any tablets to try and give my poor bowels a break. However, I now can’t avoid having to take them, so am trying to pre-empt the constipation. Does anyone have any recommendations of how to keep it at bay? Google keeps suggesting coffee and exercise (haha - ive not left my bed for two days), did Movicol or Milk of Magnesia work for anyone? I just can’t face the side effects anymore!

@Guineapiggiesmalls I'm afraid this is why in the end I was taken off ondansetron in my second pregnancy. I was in hospital for a long time as I was very ill and even with them administering enemas every day (the horror!) plus every laxative the hospital pharmacist could think of it still wasn't working. Constipation that severe is actually quite dangerous so I had to come off it completely. I had also taken ondansetron in my first pregnancy and really struggled with the constipation but not to the same extent so perhaps it is a bit cumulative. Anyway, I don't think I've come across anyone else who had such serious probs as I did, most people do seem to find ways to manage it.

Movicol might work especially if you can force yourself to take the maximum "clear out" dose -- the problem is that I found I vomited loads trying to do this. There's also fybogel stuff but I could never keep that down even briefly and I remember in the end the nurses refused to give it to me as it was so pointless. Have you also tried basic otc laxatives like senokot or bisacodyl? In my first pregnancy I had some luck with the sort of jelly suppository things you can get from the chemist which you put up your bottom. You can also order a fleet enema to do at home if you get totally desperate. None of these things are "recommended" in pregnancy but it's what they'd use if you were in hospital and were really bunged up. I feel for you, it is really awful; although I was desperately ill with my second pregnancy (in hospital for two months and on a massive IV steroid dose for ages) I think I was actually more traumatised by the terrible constipation and the constant horrible attempts to sort it out than by the sickness itself in the end. (And also, the constipation itself makes the nausea worse and makes it harder to eat, which is unhelpful in the circs.)

Guineapiggiesmalls I can't improve on kalidsa's advice aout the constipation.
kalidasa You have indeed been one of the worst ever cases on this thread. On the constipation, my goodness, I remember being horrified by the way you suffered from the hospital treatments. It is interesting that they are less keen on b/f ing in France. I felt so guilty about stopping when my DD was five months, so it's a relief to hear that they are less purist about it in France!
I hope everyone is coping today

kalidasa Sorry - I'm vague today, recovering from a migraine. I am sorry you are bedbound and very nauseated, but congratulations on making 7 weeks without hospitalisation.

Just to comment on the side effects of ondansatron I haven't been able to tolerate it 2nd pregnancy at all. 1st pregnancy I was on it from 7 weeks to 28 and the constipation was horrendous. As I didnt eat much and lived off Iv fluids this may be tmi but sometimes after an hour on the toilet only a pebble size came out and thats all I could manage in a week. I remember one night screaming in agony from the pain in my stomach and intenstines from it. Apparently the IV ondansatron makes it worse and I was having 3 doses a day in hospital . I couldnt tolerate the laxatives so that didnt help.

This time I said I'd rather be sick than go through that again. Thankfully xonvea has been a game changer and only side effectds while adjusting to it was tiredness.

If at all costs try other medications first and keep ondansatron as last resort.

Thank you @kalidasa, @LucindaE and @abbs1

I’ve got the midwife tomorrow so might mention the side effects, especially as (anecdotally at least) it seems to be worse in subsequent pregnancies. It’s brutal having to pick between vomiting or constipation. Had a very self-pitying cry about it to my husband, who perhaps now understands that I’m not just feeling sorry for myself!

Maybe I need to speak with GP about Xonvea… when my notes said ondansetron had worked last time, he instantly gave me a prescription for it. Perhaps I should’ve discussed some more options

Thanks again, hope you’re all having some respite some way or another!

kalidasa sorry you’re suffering so much, but amazing you’ve seen the heartbeat at 7wks! I always thought it was 8 weeks to see it but if it’s visible by 7wks I might book my early scan ASAP in case the HG is unmanageable by 8. I had a lap&dye to treat endometriosis in July so the early scan’s included in the package.

Can I ask you all when the nausea and vomiting kicked in badly for you? I seem to remember it was around 7-8 weeks in my first pregnancy (up until then it was occasional vomiting and vague nausea that comes and goes, which is what I’m having at the moment, at about 6 weeks). But when it hit it was very sudden, almost overnight I went from throwing up once a day to being unable to keep anything down. And having to lie flat for hours as any movement set it off!

Ondansetron; I don’t recall side effects but then it took me most of my pregnancy to get hold of it as doctors don’t like prescribing it here (my GP claimed only a specialist could prescribe it and that referral took about 6 months!)

Anyone else having night sweats to the point they wake up soaked? I wake up at 3am every morning with my PJs clinging to me and all the bedding damp, then I’m up for the day. I’ve moved to the guestroom or DH gets wet too and I was apparently waking him up multiple times a night saying I was cold and trying to use him to warm up 😳
Are these night sweats normal in early pregnancy? I can’t remember if I had them last time. Normally I only get them if I have a chest infection but no symptoms of that.

Interesting about let down nausea, I used to get it too for about 6 months afterwards. And if I think about it now I start getting that prickling sensation and the nausea starts 😬 must be hormone related, not going to think about it actually

abbs1

Ondansetron is well known for causing constipation. But metaclopramide is known for speeding up digestive transit and avoiding constipation. I don’t think they can prescribe both together (can’t remember why without checking the interactions, I could be wrong. Maybe it’s stemetil they can’t prescribe with metaclopramide? I really should know as used to be a wilderness medic but my brain’s half asleep!) I remember we used to carry IM Stemetil for severe travel sickness or migraine, it worked for some people but others just went into a daze. I remember self administering it on one trip when I was air sick in the bumpiest helicopter ever 🤭 it didn’t help the nausea but made me unable to vomit and so spaced out I ended up sprawled over the equipment in the back with the pilot shouting at me via the intercom to sit up and hold onto the camera equipment before it smashed! (I was beyond caring about camera equipment by then!) They had to drag me out by the time we landed as I felt like I couldn’t move my limbs/couldn’t be bothered to try and move them 😳

@FateHasRedesignedMost good thought about metocloprimide. I can't take that anymore either but in my first pregnancy I definitely was on both meto and ondansetron for a while in the middle. In fact I distinctly remember (grim detail alert) that the meto made everything quite liquid/loose but because of the ondansetron I still had a lot of difficulties passing it. A really weird combination! So I'm not sure it would solve the problem though it might help it a bit.

I find it honestly quite weird that the Xonvea seems to work so well, because the main antiemetic in it (doxylamine) is really similar to cyclizine I think, so pretty mild, and in both pregnancies I have been on cyclizine along with pyridoxine (B6), which is the other ingredient in Xonvea, so should work out as pretty similar. Maybe the fact you take four doses a day and it's in a slow-release formulation really helps to spread out the effect.

I'm a bit stressed here because my mother in law has just come round (we are using her flat this year so she has a key, and she was meant to come to supervise some things being moved) and had a big go at me about how my husband is so unbearably stressed and it can't continue. My husband was indeed in a real state this morning, and she obviously met him on his way out to work and he had a real rant at her (as he just had at me!), but (like her!) he does get in these big states and then he calms down. It's not the end of the world and it's definitely not my fault! I don't know anyone here, I am not currently able to pursue any of the opportunities I had lined up to meet people as I'm too unwell, I am putting all my effort into staying well enough to stay at home, and I lost my Dad very recently (in July) just days before we had to do this international move. I feel a bit cross that I still have to be the calm and reasonable one! OK rant over -- back to positive thinking now!

Hi all, sorry to hear some are still really suffering. I had my scan last week, now in week 14 and pleased to report a happy and healthy baby kicking around and unable to sit still for the sonographer- so photos mostly blurry It has really helped me feel brighter about everything, so I’m feeling very grateful. Was very sick Friday evening then thankfully have had a rare 4 days of no sickness, just as Dr prescribed Ondansetron, but I had to go 2 days without as my phenergan ran out and I couldn’t get to the pharmacy. But I managed 2 days with nothing so gambled and tried another 2 days and managed it! Felt a bit smug, then bam back to sickness this morning… but dare I say I’m hoping this is a turning point?! All that said, step daughter did bring home a cold from school on Friday, so am now battling a cough/cold and triggering sickness - it never ends!

@Secondtimemamma couldn’t see whether anyone had responded, so I’ll throw in my thoughts as an HR Bod- I’m sorry to hear you’re in this situation. I’m afraid I don’t do payroll calculations but do write policies when I’m not laying in a dark room with HG. It will all depend on at what point your sick leave began, how far along you are and the EWc (horrible phrase expected week of confinement/due date! ), and also, crucially the wording of your workplace policies and possibly your contract. They average out the earnings over the preceding ‘qualifying period’ which can make it tricky. I would strongly suggest getting in touch with Citizens Advice, during 9-5 the website has a chat function you can tell someone your situation, they will help you work out what you’re entitled to and possibly look at any other allowances you may now qualify for too, and whether they can deny you any Occupational Mat Pay (payment element) because you were forced onto Stat sick pay and leave, your employer might be in tricky territory re discrimination. Really hope that helps, sorry I can’t be of more use.

To everyone else, sending lots of positivity your way, for sickness free days and respite.

@MrsNovember I think that's very encouraging! Having just one or two good days, even if it then gets really bad again for a while, is a sign of things improving overall in my experience. It's depressing to go back to being really sick again after a good few days though.

I'm feeling really surprisingly OK today. I've been in bed so far but might even be able to venture out to a bakery. I immediately start worrying about the baby which is a bit silly I suppose when I had a scan literally yesterday.

@kalidasa I get what you mean, I’ve spent the weekend anxious about everything… the scan was great but not sure I’ll fully relax until baby is safely here. Also with 4 days of no sickness I ended up worrying something was wrong, madness how the thing that makes you feel so awful ends up being strangely comforting.

Amazing that you’re feeling well enough to venture out! I say just take the good days (hours!?) when you can

abbs1 That sounds horrific about your experience with Ondansetron induced constipation. I am so glad Xonvea has helped you escape that. Never worry about tmi on here.
kalidasa Oh dear, that was a bit insensitive of your MIL: you would think from knowing of your last two pregnancies - even at a distance- she would know you aren't exactly lazing about for the fun of it, even if OH is stressed. It is certainly unfair how with Hyperemesis if sufferers have a good day early on, they become anxious. I am sorry about the loss of your father not long ago.
Guineapiggiesmalls I hope Xonvea works for you.
FateHasRedesignedMost I am fairly sure that there have been sufferers on here on Ondansetron, Metaclopromide and Cyclizine - those with really severe symptoms. Life as a wilderness medic sounds as if it was exciting.
MrsNovember Good advice for Secondtimemamma about maternity pay. Congratulation on those good days. With any luck, it is the sign of a turnaround - but sufferers always fret that a good day might have a sinister meaning.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.